Chapter 4

Receiving Wisely

One of the most important parts of giving well is to understand who your recipients are. As discussed in Chapter 3, to do so requires first clearing your lenses. As we will see in this chapter, it also requires empathy, on the part of both the giver and the recipient. Understanding comes more easily for some than for others. The giver and the recipient may spend plenty of time together and enjoy a close relationship. Or age, geography, family commitments, business, or old baggage may all get in the way.

But understanding and empathy alone do not make a gift successful. Giving well involves receiving well, which depends on the recipient’s ability to integrate the gift into her life. As one of Adele and Albert’s daughters-in-law ...

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